A database management system, such as a directory server, provides a network service for the management of information about an entity, typically including data on computers, other network services, users, customers, and subscribers. A database management system typically includes characteristics such as a hierarchical object-oriented naming model, extensive search capabilities, an extensible schema, built-in attribute-level security, shared network access, and an underlying storage mechanism, allowing the database management system to be well-suited for the management of information.
Conventionally, a database management system provides information to a wide variety of applications. These applications, through the database management system, are able to share a common data repository. Some database management systems may provide information in the form of a single, centralized repository and some may employ multiple, small repositories for each type of application or a group of applications. Moreover, a database management system also provides various protocols that applications may use to access directories. For example, typical protocols provided by a particular type of database management system, known as a directory server, include Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Directory Services Markup Language (DSML), etc.
Conventionally, database management systems are modeled (i.e., simulated) to analyze the performance and scalability of the service. Typically, these features are implemented by modeling the components of a database management system that have the greatest impact on performance and scalability. For example, a common component of a database management system that is modeled is the cache (or cache hierarchy). In this case, each object of the cache is modeled to analyze the performance of the cache. For example, if a particular cache stores data in the form of pages, then each page would be modeled in a simulation of that particular cache.
In some instances, modeling each object represented by a database management system, or cache within a database management system, may result in a large amount of objects being simulated. Therefore, the tracking of various objects that are modeled becomes an increasingly difficult task. Moreover, as a result of simulating each object, the simulation results obtained may be difficult to analyze or improve upon.